Snoqualmie bound

All 3 of the men in our household have nasty colds which means no one is sleeping and everyone's a little on the grumpy side. I was going a bit stir-crazy yesterday and decided we all needed to get in the car and take a drive. I packed up a picnic & we headed to Snoqualmie Falls--the perfect distance...the boys got naps and we got a little peace and quiet. It was a gorgeous day and we found a lovely table in the sun and enjoyed a delicious lunch. We then headed to the lookout to see the falls. Max was a bit nervous as they were roaring pretty loudly, but he was a good sport. Gus was fascinated and was trying to get over the fence--my little daredevil! After taking in the beauty we headed into town with a mission to find an ice cream shop. We succeeded and Max enjoyed a yummy cookies-and-cream treat. The boys slept again on the ride home and we all agreed we felt much better after getting a little fresh air and rest.

Tim Russert: 1950-2008

I was heartbroken when I heard yesterday that Tim Russert had died suddenly. I loved him, particularly after reading 'Big Russ & Me'.

Mr. Russert, you will be missed...

lovely, lovely

Gus is walking...

...can't you tell?

my treasures

here's a look at the goodies i brought home from the farm chicks show.






The last photo may need a bit of an explanation since you can't really see the whole thing. It's a beverage stand...the part you can't see has a bottom shelf. The top opens up to a cooler, which is what you're looking at. The piece was made by the sweetest old man named Don, from Temecula, CA. He goes out and helps people tear down old fences, then he repurposes them into things like this. The fixtures are vintage...the towel holder in the center there and it's hard to make out, but there's an old-fashioned bottle opener just to the right of the towel holder. There's an old handle on the top of the chest too (which Don told me he got in trouble with his wife for using because it was expensive & she had another idea for it...boy they were a cute couple.) They even invited us to their barn show in November & said if we had an RV we could park on their property...4 acres in wine country...quite tempting I must say!

The Farm Chicks really know how to put on a good show. We had an absolute blast & can't wait for the next one!

Sew Busy

I've been slowly teaching myself to sew. This week I made a sheet set for Max's bed and a nursing cover. The nursing cover is like the "Bebe au Lait" style you can get at Nordstrom, with the boning so you can peek at your baby while still staying covered. I have 12 (!) pregnant friends, so these little covers will be a great money saver come shower time! My next project will be my hardest yet, a reversible tote bag, found here. Hopefully it'll turn out. I'll keep you posted.

My Top 5 'Top Fives'

Top 5 "New York" Moments:
5. The shouts of "Shut-up" from windows as a man walked down the street yelling at 5am.
4. Riding in a cab at 55mph down 5th Ave ("The Express" our cab driver joked, as we all tried to get our heart rates back to a normal level.)
3. The chorus of profanity that followed a Mets fan in Yankee Stadium
2. Encountering a film set on a random street on our way to dinner.
1. Being packed like sardines on the D train after a Yankee game. There's nothing like getting up close and personal with a bunch of drunk New Yorkers.

Top 5 Food Moments:
5. First meal in NYC at French Roast. We were all so hungry I don't think it would have mattered what we ate, but it sure was good.
4. Falafel at Murray's
3. Chocolate mousse at Bouchon--to die for!
2. Dinner with Bob and Pat at a tiny Italian restaurant in the Village.
1. 7-course meal at Gramercy Tavern. U n b e l i e v a b l e .

Top 5 Most Disgusting Moments:
5. The lady on our plane who repeatedly licked every part of her hummus container.
4. The nasty sewer smell that assaults your nostrils without warning.
3. Watching the Yankees destroy the Mariners.
2. See #1--it was so disgusting that it counts twice.
1. The sound of repeated vomitting coming from the man near us in the ER. I still have nightmares about this!

Top 5 Absolute Best Things:
5. Visiting the spot in Central Park where we were engaged.
4. Seeing an incredible off-Broadway play and getting to meet the actors.
3. Our walk from the Upper West Side down to Times Square our first night in the city.
2. Seeing baseball at Yankee Stadium.
1. Waking up every morning and walking to the corner deli for bagels & coffee.

Top 5 Photos: